There are 156 golfers teeing off today in the Beachlands Victoria Open pro golf tournament presented by the Times Colonist and just as many dreams of eventually making it to the PGA Tour.
They range from those of Neal Shipley, who goes from being the low amateur this year in both the Masters in April at Augusta and U.S. Open last weekend at Pinehurst to making his pro debut today at Uplands Golf Club out of the NCAA Ohio State Buckeyes, to that of a veteran pro such as Rodolfo Cazaubon.
Shipley played his last round at Augusta with a guy named Tiger Woods and added his name to an exclusive list of only six players who have been low amateurs in the Masters and U.S. Open in the same year — joining Ken Venturi from 1956, Jack Nicklaus from 1960, Phil Mickelson from 1991, Matt Kuchar from 1998 and Viktor Hovland from 2019.
While this will be 23-year-old Shipley’s first swing of a pro club, the 34-year-old Cazaubon has been at it since 2013. He had a college career comparable to Shipley — and that’s saying something — winning three NCAA tournaments in his final season at the University of North Texas and being named an all-America. He also led Mexico to a silver medal behind the U.S. in the 2012 Eisenhower Trophy, the world amateur team championship, and Mexico to a bronze medal in the 2011 World University Games. He has played six pro wins and has played on the Web.com (now Korn Ferry) Tour, which is one step from the PGA Tour in the pro golf ladder.
“I’ve been pretty much everywhere,” said Cazaubon, with a knowing smile
And still chasing a dream that never grows old.
“The competition is tough,” said Cazaubon.
“But this is great preparation for the next level.”
He should know. He’s been at it at the pro game for 11 years.
The former Canadian Tour became PGA Tour Canada in 2013, with 65 PGA Tour Canada alumni having advanced to play on the PGA Tour over the past decade with 26 PGA Tour victories between them. More than 300 PGA Tour Canada alumni have gone on to play on the PGA-gateway Korn Ferry Tour since 2013 with more than 50 victories between them.
PGA Tour Canada and PGA Tour Latinoamérica merged into a single entity to form PGA Tour Americas, beginning play this year. The new combined PGA Tour Americas features 16 tournaments, six in Latin America and 10 in North America, the latter beginning today with the Beachlands Victoria Open. The 16 tournaments each offer purses of $225,000 US for a total of $3.6-million US. The tournament winners will earn $40,000 US, which will make for a happy Sunday at Uplands for veterans such as Cazaubon or rookies such as Shipley alike.
PGA Tour Canada and PGA Tour Latinoamérica previously each offered five spots into the following season’s Korn Ferry Tour. Those berths will be amalgamated with the new PGA Tour Americas offering a combined 10 spots into the following year’s Korn Ferry Tour.
“The dream, of course, remains the same [to jump to the Korn Ferry and hopefully PGA Tours]. You learn a lot along the way, about patience and staying calm and being prepared mentally and physically,” said Cazaubon.
“You have to understand there will be rough times. You just have to enjoy the process. There is no better office in the world. Who is going to complain about seeing the world and being out here in a place like this [Victoria]?”
Derek Hitchner, a sophomore pro out of NCAA Pepperdine, echoed those same thoughts on the eve of the Victoria Open. The goal is the Korn Ferry Tour followed by the PGA Tour but you’ve got to enjoy the road along the way — one that very few get to travel, whether they make it to the top or not.
“I’ve already seen some interesting places, some bucket-list places, in South America this year at the beginning of this Tour,” said the native of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“I’m enjoying the journey. It doesn’t feel like a job at times.”
But it is.
“You learn things along the way and incorporate those into your game,” said Hitchner.
“I find it reassuring there are guys I have played [at Pepperdine] with who have moved up this ladder and that I can follow in their footsteps. Everyone’s journey is a bit different. Hopefully, it goes my way.”
The first-two rounds begin today and Friday at 7:30 a.m. from the first and 10th tees at Uplands. The cut will be made before the third round Saturday with the final round to go Sunday.
